The Beginning of the End
by ofmurphys
Summary: It's the end of civilization when Beth Greene befriends Nick Clark and together they try to adjust to the changes in the world and try to survive. An AU where Beth Greene lives in LA when the start of the apocalypse occurs.
1. Prologue

The first time she saw him he was sitting on the curb in front of Calvin's house with a cigarette tucked haphazardly between his lips as he struggled to light it. Watched as his shaky hand struggled to set it aflame. She hadn't meant to watch him so intently, as she walked towards her mailbox, but she didn't look away.

Her eyes took in his movements as he finally ignited the lighter in his hand and watched as he shoved it into his pockets.

His entire appearance was disheveled at best and he kept bouncing his leg, as if he couldn't control it, that maybe he didn't even realize he was doing it. The entire time down the length of the driveway she watched him fidget, curiosity taking hold, and watched him exhale smoke that bubbled out and dissipated in front of him.

"Those things will kill you." Beth blurted out and bit down on her lip, as if to stop any more word vomit from tumbling out of her lips.

At first he looked startled by her sudden outburst bringing his brown eyes up to hers only to look left and right before landing back on her tilting his head to the side with a look of confusion evident on his face.

"The cigarettes." She added to clear up confusion but she really wished she hadn't continued the conversation with a complete stranger who looked like someone her daddy would want her to stay away from.

In hopes of ending it she turned her attention to the mailbox and pulled out the contents, a few envelopes all addressed to Maggie, when an unfamiliar raspy laugh echoed around her; no doubt belonging to the stranger behind her.

She turned her head to look over her shoulder at him catching a lazy smile etched onto his face, if he wasn't in such a disheveled state she'd be willing to bet that he was quite good looking. In fact even now with his obvious unwashed hair and winkled clothing there was a certain appeal to him.

"A lot of things could kill me," He replied and she let her eyes search his face for his expression, it was a knowing look one that made her wonder what he was thinking. "I'm willing to bet this won't be the thing that does."

* * *

 **Authors Note** : This is just a little scene I wanted to get out but the story will indeed pick up within the next couple chapters and the following ones will be a lot longer from here on out. Also, I'd love some feedback as this is my first time ever writing fanfiction - I prefer to write original stories - and if you'd like to see any of the other characters from the TWD verse let me know and I'll try to work them into it. Thank you to everyone who took their time to read this!


	2. Chapter 2

The world was changing and the signs were everywhere.

At first it was so subtle that if you weren't looking you'd miss them. If you'd blink the signs would be gone, there and then out of sight in a moments notice. First it was too many people being away, they blamed the flu or other sicknesses. No one ever thought the sickness was the reanimation of the dead.

Then it was the increase in the missing. Children, parents, siblings, family of all sorts, and friends vanishing into thin air. No signs or clues of where they went or what had happened. Now, the people who opened their eyes and saw the world for what it was becoming had to wonder if their missing loved ones were alive or one day they'd see their decaying and rotten flesh as they slouched and slid their dead bodies towards the living.

There were some people who were looking, though, they saw the signs and they acknowledged that the world was ending. That the collapse of society was inevitable. No one believed them though, chalking it up to delusions and too many video games. Too many nights filled with horror movies.

For a while Beth Greene was in the dark, unaware of the things that were really happening in the world. There was no reason for her not to believe that everything was okay, that the rumors where just rumors. How could she believe them? It all seemed too farfetched to be real.

Tobias knew the truth though, a friend from school, she watched as he grew more uneasy - it wasn't the same unease as before - she could see the fear he held back. She never asked though, it wasn't any of her business but she made sure he knew she was there for him if he needed to talk.

It was a week later when he finally took her up on her offer but he didn't really need her for comfort or her words of wisdom, no all he had to share was a warning.

"It's spreading, Beth."

"What are you talking about?"

"The virus."

He told her about how it had affected at least 5 other states and how he tried to bring a knife to school, that she should protect herself too. That she should be prepared because when civilization ends, it ends fast.

At first Beth thought nothing of his warning and not because she didn't believe him but because she didn't **_want_** to. She'd rather stay in denial but now as she stared down the street watching a limp figure drag it's way towards her she felt her heart racing in her chest.

'It's nothing, it's just a person' she thought to herself but as it came closer it was harder to pass it off as just a person. It was a person - maybe - who had crimson red dripping from his chin and what she could only guess was a gunshot wound in his shoulder. He had blood dripping from his face and that's when she heard it; a blood curdling scream.

The scream came from her.

She turned around and ran as fast as she could, never stopping, not even when her lungs ached and she was struggling to push herself any further. She kept running down the streets weaving her way through the streets till she reached her house.

That's when she collapsed into her driveway taking heaving breaths to get air into her lungs. Logically she knew she couldn't and shouldn't stay out in her front yard struggling to get her breath back but she couldn't bring herself to move, whether she was frozen in fear or just too tired to move was beyond her.

Minutes passed before she felt a hand on her shoulder and all Beth could do was flinch back trying to get as far away from the unwanted touch as possible till she saw the concerned face that belonged to her sister, Maggie.

"Beth, are you okay?" She asked but didn't give her enough time to reply that she wasn't okay, that nothing was okay anymore, before she spoke again. "Come on, let's get you inside."

All she could do was allow her sister to help her up and carry her back inside but she wasn't sure how she was going to tell her sister what just happened. Would she even believe her?


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note** : I know this is short and I'm not totally happy with it because this chapter was supposed to be in Nick's POV, as I wanted each chapter to be in alternating POV's, but there was information I needed to get out that could only be done in Beth's POV. The next one will however be in Nick's and should be posted shortly or tomorrow as it's all written I just need to go over it and make sure it's how I wanted it to be.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own the characters and anything you may recognize from the show is not mine either.

* * *

"Mags, something is happening out there." Beth pleaded with her sister to believe her, to see that the fear she had was genuine and that she wasn't just going crazy from the stress of school and being new to town.

"Bethy, you do realize that what you're suggesting is insane?"

She did realize that, she did. Everything about it was insane and maybe this wasn't what it seemed like, maybe Tobias had it wrong to some extent. While it was obvious there was a virus going around maybe what she saw was all in her head, that there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for what was going on.

There had to be, she decided to herself.

"You're right it's probably nothing." Beth faked a smile and excused herself telling Maggie that she probably just needed some rest because she hadn't been sleeping well since they got here.

Sleep wouldn't reach her though, not when her mind was on hyperdrive and she came to the harsh realization that there was no use in trying to convince herself that this was nothing to freak out about because what she saw was real and she was fairly certain that there was no reasonable explanation.

She believed Tobias wholeheartedly and now she couldn't help but let worry for him and everyone she loved wash over her.

How was she going to protect and prepare her family for this when they wouldn't believe her? Maybe her Daddy would believe her and Shawn— _Shawn_. Fresh worry came to her as she wondered if he was doing okay. Had the outbreak reached Georgia?

She'd have to call him and she wondered if she could convince him to come visit – take a break from watching over the farm their family had left behind that he had taken over of – and if it was still safe enough for him to fly out. She'd feel a lot better if her family was together.

* * *

Calvin's parents had asked her if she had saw him recently, she hadn't and so she told them that, and apparently he was missing.

The mundane worry reached her and it wasn't till she turned around leaving them to go in search of anyone who could tell them something of use when she realized he was missing and that the world wasn't the same anymore. Could he be— One of those things?

Beth didn't know him that well but he seemed nice. He always said hello and asked her how she was doing whenever they passed each other and occasionally stopped for small talk, asking her how she was adjusting and if she liked it here. Maybe eventually they could've been friends. She hoped that he was okay and she said a prayer for him that night, asking God to keep him safe. To keep everyone safe.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note** : This had been written up before the latest episode and therefore some information will conflict with canon events in the show.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own the characters and anything you may recognize from the show is not mine either.

* * *

He was jonesing and hard.

There was nothing more he wanted than anything that would give him a high but he had to wean himself off the stuff. He didn't want to, but had to.

He'd have to settle for some crushed up oxy, that his mom brought home, every so often but it was never enough, never enough to appease him and his need for the drugs.

The withdrawals were doing him in and maybe it wasn't such a bad thing, no it was awful – truly – but when he was retching up whatever contents he had in his stomach and itching till blood weld up he couldn't think about Gloria, Calvin, and whatever was happening to people.

He couldn't understand how the world wasn't seeing what was happening right under their noses, how up themselves everyone was to be able to ignore the oddity of what was happening. It was as if he and his family were the only ones who saw what was happening.

At least he knew he wasn't insane.

That's what mattered right? That he wasn't imagining this all, or maybe that would be better, but his mind wasn't playing tricks on him and despite all the drugs he's been feeding to his system for years on end it hadn't ate at his brain. Hadn't taken his sanity away for good. It was only a matter of time though, wasn't it? Whatever was happening might very well take away not only his sanity but everyone's.

It was already taking it's toll on everyone in his family.

Alicia was mostly in the dark and wouldn't listen to their cautionary tales to stay away from Matt, who for all they knew was now no longer the person he once was but now— Well, he didn't know what he might be or what Gloria and Calvin had become but Matt was possibly one too.

As for his Mom he could tell that she wasn't as put together as she might like to appear. Maybe she thought she had to be strong for both her children but despite being otherwise occupied by either being high as a kite or struggling through withdrawals he could tell she wasn't okay. It might have been the muffled crying he heard a few times that was the give away but he'd like to think he was perceptive.

She probably would be okay if Travis wasn't gone and she knew that he was okay but the fact of the matter was that he was gone and with the cell reception coming in and out at odd hours she was in the dark when it came to his safety.

As for him he just wanted to get the hell out of here as soon as possible, how long would it be till enough was enough and they just left without Travis? To be fair though it hadn't been long, less than 24 hours, but rationally had nothing over his nerves. The anxiety that constantly stirred within him.

Every time he closed his eyes he saw Gloria and not the lively and free girl he once knew – albeit barely – but the one with an empty and emotionless gaze, another person's blood dripping from her mouth. Guts in her mouth. He felt nauseous and he didn't know whether it was from the fresh memory or the withdrawal. Maybe a mixture of both.

"Are you alright? You don't look well." An unknown voice shook him from his thoughts and brought him back to reality.

The one where he was sitting outside his house – well, it hadn't been his home in a while – staring down at the ground and he probably should've been more alert with everything that had been going on but he hadn't been. He just needed fresh air before he went stir crazy.

Blonde hair passed his peripheral vision and he turned quickly his eyes landing on a girl with the brightest blue eyes he's ever seen and blonde hair scraped up into a ponytail. Recognition itched at the back of his mind, a memory trying to reach the surface but all he could do was stare blindly up at her, he recognized her and he couldn't figure out where or why.

It took a moment but finally he was able to grasp the memory from the depths of his mind. She was the girl who lived across from Calvin, the one who told him smoking could kill him. If only she knew the things he did, all the things that would sooner kill him than the cigarettes. But it was more likely that he'd die by the hands of another, not even hands even by their mouth—Having him for a snack.

He didn't know her name though. Neither had made the move to introduce themselves and it wasn't long before Calvin came out and they left to do their business. To get what he had went went for.

"Yeah." He lied, there was no need to get into the list of why things were most certainly not alright and by default made him not alright. She didn't need to know, or maybe she did, as the brunt of it would effect them all. Or, maybe it would be dealt with before it did but there was a larger chance they wouldn't and frankly he wasn't feeling very optimistic.

"Are you sure?" She questioned, her eyebrows furrowed together and her face scrunched up in a way that showed she didn't believe him.

"I'm just not feeling well." While it wasn't the truth it wasn't technically a lie either.

"Then shouldn't you be inside?" She looked concerned and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why someone he didn't know, only met once, would be concerned for (by all intent and purposes) a strangers well being. But she had a point, he should be inside for many reasons. The main one being that it was unsafe.

"I'm not contagious." Was insanity contagious? Had he infected his entire family and made them see what he had saw?

Just like that she sat next to him on the curb with only a few inches between them, shifting her body so she was angled towards him. "I'm Beth." She greeted and stuck her hand out in the space between them.

His eyes flicked down to the extended hand looking at it for a few second before extending his own. "Nick."

A lull of silence took over and he found he didn't mind that this strange girl was sat next to him just staring out in front of them. He felt marginally safer, not much but after all didn't they say there was a safety in numbers?

"Have you seen Calvin?" The question had completely caught him off guard and he hoped he had masked his features enough that she couldn't tell. How would he explain? How could he possibly tell her that the last time he had saw Calvin he had shot him? It didn't matter that if he hadn't it would've been him instead. If it had been him would he have vanished from the spot where he had been left only to reappear dragging his body that had a gunshot wound and trying to eat the next person he had saw? None of it made any sense.

"Nick?" A quite voice had pulled him from his thoughts.

"Huh?" He mumbled, dragging his eyes back to the girl before remembering he had to answer her. But how? "No." Another lie, easy enough.

"Oh," It almost sounded as if she was sad, "Well if you see him can you tell him his parents are looking for him?"

"Yeah." It was no use because while Calvin's body still may be his own it was an awful lot like whatever had made him Calvin was gone. That he was gone. He wondered if Beth knew what was going on and if she didn't should he tell her? Minus the part where he had shot Calvin and then also run him over with Travis' truck. Neither of which had fully killed him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's** **Note** : First, I want to apologize for the long wait. I got really caught up with school and then when I got caught up with ftwd I didn't know how I was going to readjust my plan for this story to fit in properly with the show, that being said I waited till the finale and now I finally know the direction I'm going to take this. I can't wait to write it all out and have you all read it. Secondly, I want to thank everyone for the support you have given this story.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own the characters or any similarities this holds to the show itself.

* * *

As she sat on the curb next to Nick her phone buzzed in her jacket pocket, normally she might have ignored it but a part of her warned her that it could be important, that with everything that was happening ignoring it might not be the brightest. Dragging it out of her pocket she looked over at Nick and it looked like he wanted to say something important but Maggie's name was scrawled across her caller ID and it wasn't a chance she was willing to take.

"Sorry, I gotta take this." She interjected quickly before he could say anything and hit answer, bringing it to her ear, "Maggie?"

"Bethy, where are you?" Maggie's voice came quickly, barely letting Beth finish speaking her name, and instantly she knew that something was wrong. The concern was evident and a million different scenarios flashed through her mind, none of them good.

"I'm a few blocks over, I went for a walk- What's wrong?"

"You never told anyone where you were going." Maggie chastened her and it took everything in Beth to not let out a frustrated sigh.

"Mags, it was never a problem before. Whats going on?" She questioned again, this time determined to get a straight answer.

"Just come home and we'll talk."

* * *

After saying goodbye to Nick she rushed home, fast walking all the way back, and tried not to think the worst but it was no use she was going to do so till she found out what was really going on.

The walk had been a blur. It didn't matter that she knew it was important for her to be aware of her surroundings but instead her mind was a whirl of concern for everyone she loved. Was her daddy okay? Did they hear from Shawn?

All types of plausible situations she hoped against because all those plausible situations made the hairs on her neck stand up, a tingle of fear zinging through her entire body. Thankfully she wouldn't have to worry much longer as she bounded through the front door, wasting no time to go to the living room where she heard her sister faintly talking to someone.

"Mags- I'm home." Beth called out loud, announcing her arrival before she turned around the corner and made her presence visible. "Is everything alright?"

"You were right."

This short statement that once would make her smirk and say the classic 'told ya so' that she always loved had now left her frowning. It wasn't just because she had the sneaking suspicion on what this might be about but mostly because Maggie's tone lacked the usual playful tone and mock dread that usually came hand in hand when having to admit that Beth was right.

"Oh." The word fell from her lips as she brought her eyes to the ground in hopes to free herself from her sisters dreadful expression. "Does daddy know?"

It wasn't what she really wanted to ask though. What she had wanted to ask was how? How was she suddenly so sure that Beth's confession the other day was not just ludicrous speculation? How did her sister go so quickly from doubting her to knowing that there was no place for doubt?

Did she see one?

Beth never asked though because she didn't really want to know and she could also tell that her sister didn't want to talk about it either.

So the question was never asked aloud, instead it just lingered in the back of her mind, and instead she asked the next most important thing. Which was how much her daddy knew because he'd have a plan. Maggie and him would figure something out because that's what they always did. They always knew what to do and even if they didn't they'd come up with something that worked. Not always well but well enough.

Her eyes took in Maggie's stance and waited for her to say something reassuring but nothing of the sort happened. All she did was shake her head and excuse herself causing Beth to turn to follow her but stopped herself mid step because maybe her sister needed some space to work through this, just like Beth herself had needed and she owed it to her sister to give her that. To give her a chance to process that their seemingly normal world was harbouring something awful.

Plus there was something she needed to do.

Grabbing her phone from her pocket she scrolled through the names in her contact list till she found the one she was looking for. She hit call and brought it to her ear, pacing as she listened to the ringing that seemed never ending.

Finally a disgruntled mumbling could be heard through the phone line.

"Tobias? It's Beth."

"Beth are okay?" He sounded worried and maybe he had good reason to be.

"I'm, uh, alright but I was wondering if you could do me a favor..." She trailed off unsure on if this was a good idea or she was just being ridiculous.

"Sure. What is it?"

"The other day... You seemed to know what you were talking about. Almost like you had an entire plan..." A sigh escaped her lips before she was able to pick up her train of thought, "I just- I don't know what to do, Tobias. I don't know what is happening but I'm scared."

In her head before she had called she was a lot more sure of herself, knew what she wanted to ask and what she had hoped to get out of this phone call but the minute she hit the call button all her confidence had fled till there was none of it left. Till she was left with the reality of how scared she was because how could she not be scared? How could anyone not be?

She was not prepared for this and didn't think she ever could be because none of it had made much sense to her. Would it ever start to make sense?

Or really what she hoped for, more than being able to understand, was that this would all go away. That she'd go to bed tonight and wake up to find that this was all just a really bad dream and everything was left the way it should be. Better yet, that she'd wake up in her bed at their family farm to the smell of pancakes that her mother was making in the kitchen but that would never happen. Her mother was dead and that's why they were here in California, after all, because they all needed a fresh start and Beth had this dream that she could make it big in the city of dreams. That maybe if she lived in the city where stars were born that she wouldn't be so sad, that the ache inside her would subside. That maybe the bright lights would make her life seem bright again, a brightness that had left the second she had heard the news and saw the bright paramedics lights fading off into the distance— Taking her mother away from her for good.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's** **Note** : I want to thank all of you for reading and commenting, it really motivates me to keep this story going, and I know it's been a while since I last updated and this chapter isn't one of the greatest, it's mostly just filler and set up to the coming chapters which hopefully will be up some time in the next week or so if my schedule allows it, but I hope you enjoy it at least a little. Also, just a heads up that this chapter is split into both Nick and Beth's POV.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own the characters or any similarities this holds to the show itself.

* * *

Nick had shuffled through the contents of his mother's cabinet looking for pills. Anything. It didn't matter that he had already looked through it once, twice, thrice times over looking for anything that would appease the need that was coursing through his system. His eyes would scan the rows, over and over again, while his hands pushing around to see labels hoping that maybe this time he'd spot something worthy, see something he had missed.

Just like all the times before there hadn't been anything of worth. just Tylenol, vitamins, and hand lotion.

He knew it was wrong. He had said he wanted to quit, but he lied.

Did he want to quit? Hell no. Did he have to quit? Yes. There was nothing he was more sure of but that didn't mean it would change his behaviour.

It didn't mean that he wouldn't keep searching and do anything he could to get more. To get enough to appease him and the addiction that settled within him, itching for a sweet substance to take over, his mind on a constant loop of drugs, drugs, drugs you need them now.

In fact he would go searching through every house in this goddamn neighbourhood and flip everything over to find anything that would give him the high he was so desperately chasing because he needed more. He'd always need more. He'd chase them till he no longer needed to, if he could.

Everyone was on lockdown. It was a shame really because in the back of his mind he knew it was the perfect time to go searching through people's house because yeah sure they could report it – a break in and missing pills – but who would care? They had more important matters at hand. Something more adamant for their concern and attention than a petty misdemeanor.

He was a fiend, an addict, and there would never be enough to satisfy him.

But that was then and this was the now.

The now was a prettier sight, a more worthwhile tale. A tale where he was in a complete state of euphoria like he could take on anything. It was Nick Clark against the world and he'd always win.

And, he hadn't had to tear apart the neighborhood in search of this feeling. Hadn't had to commit a series of break ins just to find the bliss he so desperately needed. Or, wanted? He figured the two words were interchangeable, in the end it didn't matter.

What had mattered, to him, was that Hector Ramirez was dying and Liza was playing nurse. Typically such knowledge would be useless to him but it was very relevant when Hector Ramirez had a morphine drip. That said morphine drip that Nick would steal, or rather borrow, because in his mind he needed it more.

So here he was staring up at the sky and everything was right in the world- For him at least, because who could worry about the state of the world outside the walls when he felt this good?

He was here, alive, with his hand dangling into the warm water of the pool cocking his head to the side to look over at where Beth sat with her feet hanging off the side and everything seemed to make sense to him.

If he ignored the fact that the world was falling apart and his girlfriend was dead.

* * *

Beth sat at the edge of the pool, her feet dipped into the water below as she stared above at the impossibly blue sky. If she continued looking up it was possible to pretend this was normal, that it was just an average day lounging by a pool. A normality, a fun day with her friend because as she sat there with Nick a few feet away lounging on a floaty in the middle of the pool it was easy to pretend.

Every so often he'll splash her and encourage her to get in while she laughs and protests, saying she doesn't feel like swimming which isn't a lie. The truth is she couldn't be bothered with swimming, not when everything wasn't right, not when looking ahead meant the fresh knowledge of all the empty houses – where they all dead? – and the reminder of curfew; the army men that lurked about and while she knew they were there for the protection of the civilians she couldn't help but feel similar to a prisoner.

They kept them in, forbidden to escape the walls that were holding them in, the same ones that were patrolled all day everyday. It wasn't that Beth wanted out into the unprotected wastelands but more that she wondered if it was really abandoned territory for miles— not a single soul around because that was a lot of people and where they really all dead?

What about the rest of the world?

What about Georgia? All the people she left behind, all the loved ones she promised she would see again. Would she ever see her childhood friend Jimmy again? What about Otis and Patricia? Most importantly she should be with her brother right now, he should be with family. Why had he convinced Daddy to let him stay behind and run things?

It was supposed to be a fresh start after her mother died but it wasn't the same without him. And now, she might never see him again. It was like another death all over again because she had no idea if he was safe and how long would it be till she could? Would she ever? Could the last time she saw him be the final time; that her goodbye to him was forever?

She regrets not holding onto him for longer, their hug too short and her parting words not good enough. But how was she to know how things would play out?

"– you alright?" The question protruded into her subconscious, dragging her back to reality and far from her thoughts.

"Of course, I'm just tired."

Nick quirked his eyebrow, his playful expression almost telling her that it was a lie but thankfully he hadn't pressed on.

She let her gaze linger on and she couldn't help but acknowledge that lately he had been seeming a lot better, healthier, because he hadn't seemed as anxious and his pale and sweat sheened complexity had vanished. His sickness must have passed and she couldn't be more thankful.


End file.
